Sidmouth Town go into Saturday’s home game with Exwick Villa with manager Josh Stunell in no doubt as to what he wants his side to deliver this festive season.

Stunell, speaking after the 3-1 defeat at Stoke Gabriel and before the home meeting with basement side Villa said: “The next three are vital in terms of our season. I am looking for us to bank all nine available points between now and the start of 2017.”

He continued: “Last Saturday at Stoke there were long periods in the first half when we matched - and arguably bettered - a very strong home side that included a number of Torquay United assets.

“The lads played some smashing football and it was only the that we shipped early goals in each half that led to our undoing. It was certainly one of those games were, even in defeat, there were plenty of positives to take from it.”

Rikki Pitter scored the Town goal at Stoke Gabriel and Stunell was full of praise for the strike saying: “It was special and will surely feature right up there with goals of the season when we sit down next May to decide the special goals of the campaign.”

Stunell has given his squad a big boost by making what he considers to be a hug addition. The Vikings boss explained saying: “I am delighted to have got Glen Gould on board. It’s not that long ago that Glen was a contract player at Tiverton Town.

“He has suffered injury problems, but trained with us in midweek and lit the training ground up. He’s the perfect player for our young and developing squad and his presence will also be of huge benefit to a number of our talented youngsters, none more so than teenager Tyler Wellman who is playing so well this season.”

It was an injury to Wellman - the youngster limped out of the action five minutes before the break at Stoke Gabriel - that Stunell felt changed the game in South Devon.

Stunell said: “He [Wellman] was orchestrating everything and was clearly worrying them. We were not happy with the challenge that led to him taking no further part in the game and his absence was a key factor in our second half show not reaching the heights of the first half display.”

As for the Exwick Villa - the Manstone Lane match kicks-off at 2.30pm - Stunell says: “There’ll be some needle for sure as we have both Sean [Densham] and Neil [Pointing] who are both Exeter-based and who both joined us from Villa, so I don’t doubt there’ll be some stick flying around!

The game on Saturday starts a run of three home games, Town host Budleigh Salterton on Boxing Day (11am) and then entertain St Martins on New Years Eve (2.15pm) and Stunell is very clear as to what he wants from his team.

He says; “We have to be looking at nothing other than a maximum nine point haul from these next hree home games.”